The Big Idea
God’s Spirit enables you to become a new creation!
Get Started Question
If you could “upgrade” one thing you own, what would it be, and why?
Discussion
In Galatians 4:19, the Apostle Paul said, “My children – I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you!”
- What do you think he meant by the words, “Christ formed in you”?
- Us becoming more like Christ.
- The character and nature of Jesus being made alive in us.
- List one of Jesus’ character traits you would like to have.
- Go around the room
- Have someone read, Romans 12:2 KJV
“be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” - What is the difference between “conformation” and “transformation”?
- Conformation is manipulating, bending, or shaping something into the mold of something else. This leaves the object mostly unchanged, although maybe a little, “bent out of shape!”
- Transformation involves replacing something’s makeup with new ingredients or elements. It’s a change from one thing into something else.
When we’re baptized into Jesus’ family, and filled with the Holy Spirit, there’s a transformation that begins in us immediately. Let’s look at that.
- Have someone read, Romans 6:4
“Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.” - After you were filled with the Holy Spirit, how has your life changed (in 3 words or less)?
- Bad habits changed, Fear removed, patient with others, etc.
- Have someone read John 15:4-8
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. - According to verse 8, how much fruit should Jesus’ disciples produce?
- Much fruit!
- Based on verses 4-5, how do we produce fruit?
- We abide in Jesus
- Have Jesus abiding in us
Fruit are the natural byproduct of being part of the vine. Everyone who has been filled with the spirit and is connected to Jesus is already producing spiritual fruit. Congratulations!
- Have someone read Luke 13:6-9
6 Then Jesus told this parable:“A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ʻFor three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil? ʼ 8 But the worker answered him, ʻSir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9 Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down. - Based on these verses, how would you describe what God expects from his people?
- He expects them to produce fruit
- What should we do if we aren’t producing fruit?
- fertilize and cultivate the soil
- take care of the tree
- improve our relationship with Jesus
- Have someone read Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self- control. Against such things there is no law. - How many fruit of the spirit are listed?
Now, imagine a wooden barrel made of several planks.
- If one of the planks were shorter than all the rest, how high can the water level inside reach?
- Only as high as the shortest plank.
- If you want to get more water in the barrel, what must you do to the short plank?
- Make it longer.
- Replace it with a longer plank.
Now, imagine that our lives are like the barrel, and each of the wooden planks is a fruit of the Spirit. We can only be as fulfilled as our weakest fruit. So, the following private evaluation will help you identify which you need to work on the most. Over the next 9 weeks, we’ll learn about each individual fruit, and how to produce them in our lives. At the end of the series, we’ll take the evaluation again and see how we feel we’ve improved.
Write down the following fruits, and rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 for each of them: 1 being the worst, and 5 being the best. Remember, these are for you privately, and you don’t have to share your answers with anyone!
- Love (Opposite being: Apathy, Hate, Lust, and Disgust)
- Joy (Opposite being: Distress, Sorrow, Despair and Regret)
- Peace (Opposite being: Worry, Chaos and turmoil)
- Patience (Opposite being: Impatience, annoyance, intolerance, worry, fear, and distrust)
- Kindness (Opposite being: Selfishness, spitefulness, meanness, unforgiving)
- Goodness (Opposite being: Badness, cruelty, ruthlessness)
- Faithfulness (Opposite being: Doubt, distrust and Misplaced Anger)
- Gentleness (Opposite being: Roughness and violence)
- Self Control (Opposite being: Self-indulgence, Agitation)
Now, circle your three lowest scoring fruit. Those are the ones you’ll focus on the most over the next several weeks!